Nichiren Shoshu

Myoshinji Temple

“Repaying Debts of Gratitude” (Ho’on sho)

Oko Sermon for February 2005
Reverend Shogu Kimura


If Nichiren’s compassion is truly great and encompassing, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for ten thousand years and more, for all eternity, for it has the beneficial power to open the blind eyes of every living being in the country of Japan, and it blocks off the road that leads to the hell of incessant suffering. Its benefit surpasses that of Dengyo and T’ien-t’ai, and is superior to that of Nagarjuna and Mahakashyapa. A hundred years of practice in the Land of Perfect Bliss cannot compare to the benefit gained from one day’s practice in this impure world.  (Shimpen gosho, p. 999; MWND-4, p. 171)

Good morning everyone. Today, on this occasion of the February Oko sermon in our expression of gratitude to our master Nichiren Daishonin, I have sincerely recited the sutras and chanted Daimoku together with you.  Moreover, I have sincerely prayed for you to eliminate your sins and negative karma from this and infinite past lifetimes; for you to redouble your faith; for you to enjoy a safe and long life; for peace and harmony to reign in your home; for all matters to proceed forth smoothly; and for the successful achievement of all your great objectives in this and future existences. I am certain that the Daishonin would be truly pleased to see so many of you in attendance today.

As you know, the Otanjo-e Ceremony is performed this month to celebrate the Daishonin’s birth.  Therefore, I have performed the Otanjo-e Ceremony, together with the Go-ho’on Oko today.

Nichiren Daishonin was born 783 years ago, on the 16th day of the second month of Jo’o (1222), in Kominato in Awa Province (present-day Chiba Prefecture). His father was Mikuni-no-tayu Shigetada, and his mother was Umegiku-nyo. There are reports that, at the time of the Daishonin’s birth, strange events took place. Pure spring water welled forth from the earth and the blue lotus opened its beautiful blossoms. The Daishonin’s childhood name was Zennichi-maro. As you know, the Daishonin was born as the child of a fisherman, a member of the lowest social stratum in the feudal society of the time. The Daishonin wrote the following about himself in his Gosho, “Letter From Sado” (Sado gosho):

So, too, it is with Nichiren, who in this life was born poor and lowly to a chandala family.

Shakyamuni, who appeared 3,000 years ago, T’ien-t’ai of China, and Dengyo of Japan were all born into royalty, the highest position in society. They were born into that exalted status to make it easy for the people to believe in True Buddhism. In the other Buddhist sects in existence during the lifetime of the Daishonin in Japan, Honen of the Jodo sect was a child of nobility. Eisai, the famous founder of the Rinzai sect of Zen, was the son of a Shinto priest. Others, such as Shinran and Dogen were also born into nobility.

Why, then, was the Daishonin born into the lowliest of classes, as the son of a fisherman?  There are two reasons for this.  The following passage is from the “Orally Transmitted Teachings” (On gi kuden):

The Buddha in the Latter Day of the Law is a common mortal – a common mortal priest.

The first reason is that the Daishonin appeared in the form of a common mortal to save all people –  who were steeped in the three poisons – by means of the Mystic Law of the Buddhism of the sowing. In the current age of the Latter Day of the Law, if the people, immersed in the three poisons, are taught by a Buddha who is bejeweled and adorned with treasures, they would never understand his teachings. Therefore, the Daishonin came into this world as a common mortal and manifested the conduct of the Buddha with his very life.

The second reason is the prediction set forth by Shakyamuni.  In the Mystic Powers (Jinriki; twenty-first) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni predicted:

As the light of the sun and moon can vanish all obscurity and gloom, so this person, as he passes through the world, can wipe out the darkness of all living beings.

The Buddha who would make his advent in the Latter Day of the Law would be the most precious entity in the universe, who would be able to save all mankind in the evil world of confusion of the Latter Day of the Law, like the rays of the sun that can eliminate darkness and nourish all things. “This person” in this passage indicates the Buddha who “passes through the world.” He is none other than Nichiren Daishonin, the Buddha who took the form of a common mortal. The “Fortitude” (Kanji; thirteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra contains numerous descriptions of persecutions and obstacles faced in the propagation of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren Daishonin, alone, encountered these persecutions and emerged forth as the votary of the Lotus Sutra. 

If the Daishonin had been born into the imperial nobility, for example, the loftiness of his birth would have prevented the four great life-threatening persecutions that he encountered. It was precisely because he was born into a family of the lowest social standing that he was forced to endure repeated major persecutions and that he was able to prove with his life the predictions set forth in the Lotus Sutra.  The low social position that the fisherman was assigned was particular to the feudal age in which the Daishonin lived. Today, the fishing profession is not considered to be base in any way.

It may be slightly difficult to understand, but I would like to explain a few things about the Japanese characters for the sun (nichi) and the moon (getsu). The Japanese character for sun (nichi) is comprised of five strokes. The character for the moon (getsu) is also composed of five strokes. Together, these two characters are composed of ten strokes. These ten strokes actually signify the principle of the mutual possession of the ten worlds (jikkai gogu). Moreover, they symbolize all the guardian deities who protect True Buddhism in the Latter Day of the Law.  The first character, “Nichi,” in Nichiren Daishonin’s name, is, indeed, the same character for “sun” as in the phrase for the “sun and the moon” (nichi getsu).

Our 26th High Priest of the Head Temple, Nichikan Shonin, explained the significance of the name “Nichiren.” First, he presented the following three descriptions for the character “Nichi” (meaning “sun”):

  1. Of all the countries in the world, Japan (written as “Nippon,” literally the “source of the sun”) was the nation in which the Daishonin emerged.
  2. The doctrine of the essential teaching that will be propagated is likened to the sun.
  3. The five strokes that comprise the character for the “sun” signify the five characters of Myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo.

Next, Nichikan Shonin described the significance of the character “ren” (meaning “lotus”):

  1. A special characteristic of the lotus is that it is remains pure and is never affected by the muddy swamp in which it grows.
  2. The lotus symbolizes the simultaneity of cause and effect.
  3. The lotus is permanent, as it does not lose its seeds, wither, and die.

When we study these facts, we find that the name “Nichiren” by itself manifests the entity of the True Buddha. The temple title of Myoshin-ji is “Seigan-zan.” The temple title of the Head Temple Taiseki-ji is “Fuji-san.” Are you familiar with the formal title for “Fuji-san?” It is “Dai-Nichiren Renge-zan.” I am certain that you realize that even the Daishonin’s name alone possesses great significance.

That the Daishonin was born as the child of a chandala was profoundly significant. It was by no means a coincidence, and his lowly birth was not a shameful matter.

Moreover, a lotus is said to have bloomed in the pond in the garden, and a huge red snapper (“tai,”considered to be an auspicious fish), which was a meter and a half (approximately 5 feet) in length, reportedly jumped from the waters to celebrate his birth.  I have heard that, even today, there are huge red snappers in the waters of Tai-no-ura in Chiba Prefecture. To this day, it is an enigma and a true mystery why these red snappers, which are considered to be deep-water fish, inhabit the shallow coastal waters of that area.

Another mysterious fact is that Shakyamuni entered nirvana on the 15th day of the second month, and the Daishonin was born on the 16th day of the second month in Japan. These numerous strange karmic bonds and events can be considered manifestations of joy by the world of all phenomena, celebrating the advent of the True Buddha.

There are several believers from Myoshin-ji Temple who are currently in Taiseki-ji to attend the Otanjo-e Ceremony at the Head Temple.  Once a year, during the Otanjo-e Ceremony for the Daishonin at the Head Temple, the doors of the five-storied pagoda are opened. Why is it that these doors are opened once a year?  The five-storied pagoda symbolizes the essential source from which all phenomena come forth.  A Gohonzon is enshrined in the pagoda, so we can worship the very entity of the Daishonin. Furthermore, opening the pagoda signifies the opening of the Buddha nature within the lives of all mankind.

All the buildings on the grounds of the Head Temple are built facing south. However, only the five-storied pagoda faces west.  This symbolizes the fact that, while Shakyamuni’s Buddhism made its way from west to east, from India to China and Japan, the True Buddhism of the Daishonin will return back to the west, from the Head Temple to India.

This month, we have focused on significant issues, based on this month’s Gosho passage, which sets forth the great objective of achieving kosenrufu.

An auspicious occurrence that portends this achievement is the establishment of two temples in Indonesia at the end of last month. At the opening, our High Priest Nikken Shonin also conducted a memorial service for the peaceful repose of the victims who died in the tremendous tsunami that occurred at the end of last year.

An article in this month’s Daibyaku-ho contained an explanation of the Daimoku, as chanted and propagated by the Daishonin.  I would like to summarize it for you here:

Needless to say, the practice of chanting Daimoku entails incredible benefits. Chanting Daimoku is the best means to stay healthy and fit. In this world, there are numerous methods that are promoted to improve health and fitness. The essential source of good health is in the way we breathe. We will die if we do not breathe for ten minutes. Therefore, breathing is definitely the source of life.

When we perform our Buddhist practice of chanting Daimoku, we inevitably engage in deep breathing. We breathe and draw in a great deal of air into our lungs. Then, as we chant Daimoku, we gradually release that air from our lungs. Moreover, we voice our Daimoku, so the breathing creates comprehensive harmony and action. As a result, we are able to strengthen our lungs, and all our internal organs will become healthy and sound. Our High Priest further stated:

You must completely join together your hands in prayer, sit straight, with you chest out, and your head held high, as you pray to the Gohonzon. It is important to maintain this form for however long you chant Daimoku. I am certain that there is no better means to promote good health. You may simply think that you will gain benefits from chanting Daimoku, but please understand that improving your health is in itself a great benefit.

Moreover, our High Priest presented an explanation of the Daimoku – Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.  He said that:

In other words, when we sincerely chant Daimoku, even if we do not understand its meaning, its true significance is manifested in our lives in the form of benefits.

We must take to heart these directions from our High Priest and always endeavor to cultivate a pure heart, like the pure lotus blossom. We must not be influenced by the conditions that prevail around us, and we must continue to perform our daily practice with an absolute, unchanging life.

The conclusion of today’s Gosho passage states: “A hundred years of practice in the Land of Perfect Bliss cannot compare to the benefit gained from one day’s practice in this impure world.” The Daishonin explained that practicing for a hundred years in the Land of Perfect Bliss is nothing compared to the practice that we currently perform in our daily lives.  This shows that the benefits are truly immeasurable for those of us who are born into this world, who are able to encounter True Buddhism, and who are able to chant Daimoku.

I ask you all to use this occasion of the Daishonin’s Otanjo-e Ceremony today, as an opportunity to chant sincere Daimoku, based on the directions of our High Priest, and to advance forth towards the Daishonin’s great objective of achieving kosenrufu.

I would like to conclude my sermon for today by sincerely praying for your ever-increasing prosperity and continued good health.

I thank you for your attendance today.